anathema

American  

[uh-nath-uh-muh] / əˈnæθ ə mə /

noun

plural

anathemas

1. a person or thing detested or loathed.

   That subject is anathema to him.

2. a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction.

3. a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication.

4. any imprecation of divine punishment.

5. a curse; execration.

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anathema British  

/ əˈnæθəmə /

noun

1. a detested person or thing

   he is anathema to me

2. a formal ecclesiastical curse of excommunication or a formal denunciation of a doctrine

3. the person or thing so cursed

4. a strong curse; imprecation

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Etymology

Origin of anathema

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin, from Greek: “a thing accursed, devoted to evil,” originally “devoted,” from ana(ti)thé(nai) “to set up” + -ma, noun suffix

Example Sentences

"The path to rebuilding the right can only happen with the broadest possible spirit of unity, without exclusion and without anathema," he writes.

From Barron's

Commercials were anathema to Hastings, but Netflix has now built an ad business.

From The Wall Street Journal

The casual word “untitled” was pretty common in art, but it possesses an air of disinterest that seems anathema in the vicinity of a Therrien.

From Los Angeles Times

“Self-consciousness and judgment—whether from yourself or other people—are anathema to flow, as is any form of distraction,” she writes.

From Salon

Trades where you fork over 2 percent a year just to be in them were anathema.

From Literature

Related Words

• bane
• pariah